Logical reasoning PrepTest 140 · Section 1 · Question 18

Incorrect. The argument states that the protest is about a plant causing health problems, and there's no indication that this is a mischaracterization. Instead, the Mayor discusses the people protesting. This isn't a straw man flaw.

Incorrect. If anything, fear in rejecting the conclusion is on the side of those who are claiming health problems if the plant is built.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Protesters were paid by property developers to protest a chemical plant, so their complaints about the plant causing health problems can be dismissed (i.e., the plant won't cause health problems).

Answer Anticipation:
The argument rejects a position (the worry in the protest) because of the motivations of those behind the protest (property values for the developers; money they were paid for the protesters). However, even if no one involved in the protest was motivated by health concerns, there still could be health concerns. The Mayor doesn't address that, instead going after those motives—so the error here is an ad hominem attack. The Mayor goes after the protesters, not the content of the protest.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights the specific type of ad hominem attack from the stimulus—calling people's motives into question instead of addressing the substance of their argument.

Key Takeaway:
Ad hominem attacks have a few "flavors"—calling someone names (incompetent, uninformed), calling someone a hypocrite, questioning someone's motives to name a few. When you see any of these, it's important to note not only the ad hominem flaw, but also the specific type of it.

What holds these all together? Talking about the person or people making an argument instead of the argument itself.

Incorrect. The argument's conclusion is about a specific chemical plant, so it's not generalizing. Additionally, the Mayor specifically establishes that most of the protesters were paid to show up, so they weren't unrepresentative of the protesters.

Incorrect. The protest is noted as claiming that the plant "could" result in health problems, but the Mayor doesn't then treat it as if they're saying it will result in those problems—just that the fear it might cause health problems can be dismissed.